Maroon chief Curry puts Cockpit Country protection at centre of five-year plan

Maroon Chief Richard Curry has placed defence of the Cockpit Country at the heart of his new term, warning that the community must stand together or risk losing its lands and heritage to outside interests.

Days after he was ratified as chief, Curry shared a roughly ten-minute video on social media in which he set out his priorities for Maroon lands, culture, and heritage. He spoke at length about economic opportunities tied to culture and tourism, but drew particular attention with a call to resist trading the territory for short-term financial gain.

"We must face the truth right now that there are people who see Cockpit Country as something to take from—mining, extraction, and degradation for short-term gain," he said. "I am standing here to say we will not trade long-term power for short-term profit, because what we have here is not just valuable—it is rare. The global opportunity is here."

His remarks land as Jamaica again debates environmental protection and how land is used. The Supreme Court recently ruled unconstitutional a 2020 environmental permit issued to Bengal Development Limited, after residents argued the project threatened their constitutional right to a healthy environment. Curry did not refer to that case by name, but his address repeatedly stressed the need for vigilance across Maroon territory.

"By keeping this land in the perfect state of freedom in which it is, we must understand that everything I speak of here today is bigger than an election," he said. "This is a lifetime decision about what we do with what we have, because we are sitting on something the world does not have—endemic life, fresh water, history, culture, identity. The question is not whether we will have value. The question is, will we protect it and turn it into power? I say we do both—together as one people."

Curry's public message also comes while a court injunction has paused nomination and election-day activities linked to the leadership process. Prospective candidates brought the legal challenge, citing concerns about how the election was being run.